Thoughts about skating and the practice of everyday life

Posture progress

Well, in the past few weeks I have felt much better about skating. It’s not that I have added any new tricks to my repertoire, but I am finally feeling like my posture is better and my positions more secure.

I have been working really hard on keeping my core engaged and the front of my hips “flat.” This makes me do more of the work with my glutes. I am also trying to make sure my feet and ankles are fully engaged. And that my knees are bending enough so that they move in front of my skate, not just on top.

The trick is that I have to do this all the time. It’s like that old song about “always”: not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year. It makes me tired just thinking about it.

Of course, when I’ve done it enough times (snort!) I won’t have to think about it. I’ll just do it and it will look like magic. And everyone will think, wow, how does she do that? It must be the leopard skin! (Okay, it does move attention away from the perfect alignment and deep knee/ankle bend.)

Most of the time I think I’m the luckiest person in the world to be able to devote time and energy to this. And sometimes I think, oh no, not again! Today I felt really, really tired–one of those days when I had to pat myself on the back for making it through an entire session.

Still, progress is happening!

Andy, Marc, Sonia, Jo, and Kari

Saw this great picture by Daveesha Montgomery in Midway Airport

My son wanted me to share this song through this blog. It happens to be a perfect reminder that I need to (1) use my glutes, (2) bend my ankles, and (3) engage my feet–here, there, and everywhere. I got this!

Lesson notes:

Left outside three turn: less twist through hips, more through upper body

Inside forward three: think about where your “tail” is pointed after the three (don’t immediately go to open-hipped position)

Back outside three: allow hips to rotate into more natural position on inside edge (don’t allow arms to rotate instead)

Back power pulls: no tipping into circle, work on knee bend and not staying up too long, don’t force a dramatic “rip”

Last time I saw coach Ty he said something about needing to do a *constant* posture check or skating would just fall apart in general. I realized he really did mean *constant*, and that is what it would take. I am still working on my posture, though not with that degree of intensity. If I really wanted good posture I’d make sure I had it throughout the day, driving, working, etc., not just on the ice. I have heard the same from a PT who worked with US Figure Skating.